Chapter 163: The Treasury
Chapter 163: The Treasury
Upon exiting the tranquil chamber where the Hao family stored their Concept diagrams, an official from the Inspector Bureau approached with reverence. "Sir, we have located the Hao family's treasury of gold, silver, and precious gems. I've ordered our men to stand guard outside."
"Let's go," Chen Mu said with a slight nod, leading the way.
For Chen Mu, ordinary gold and silver held little value; the items he sought were often so rare that they had no fixed price. Treasures like Flowing Silver Ore, used to craft precious artifacts, were said to be worth hundreds of thousands of silver taels, but in reality, they were incredibly difficult to purchase and hard to come by.
As one of the four great families of Yu Prefecture, the Hao family's treasury likely contained not only gold and silver but also other rare items that Chen Mu needed. It was only natural for him to personally inspect it.
Soon, guided by the clerk, Chen Mu circled the large courtyard and reached a nondescript small stone house at the back, surrounded by layers of Inspector Bureau soldiers standing guard.
The officials and clerks present were all mindful of their manners. Chen Mu, as the Director of the Inspector Bureau and the highest-ranking official at the Hao family residence, was the first to 'inspect' the treasury. The others patiently waited for their turn to conduct a formal search after him.
"Director Chen," the soldiers outside knelt as they greeted Chen Mu.
Chen Mu walked straight into the stone house without saying much. Inside were numerous large wooden crates, and upon opening one, it was filled to the brim with snow-white silver ingots.
Each crate contained tens of thousands of silver taels, and there were dozens of such crates, amounting to at least several hundred thousand taels. However, this was merely a drop in the ocean compared to the Hao family's wealth.
Chen Mu continued deeper into the room.
Beyond the crates of silver, there were smaller wooden boxes piled up in the corners. Opening one revealed a gleaming pile of red gold ingots.
Each small box contained red gold worth at least ten thousand silver taels, and there were at least twenty to thirty such boxes, totaling several million taels.
"The public treasury alone has over several million taels in circulation, and the actual flow of silver extends to the shops in both the inner and outer cities, as well as numerous large estates and industries outside the prefecture, totaling far more than ten million taels."
Chen Mu picked up a gold ingot and weighed it in his hand.
Even without considering the Hao family's other assets, the gold and silver in this room alone were enough to make countless people envious, even to the point of madness. In the outer city, there were countless impoverished alleyways where it was uncertain if one could scrape together ten silver taels, yet here, hundreds of thousands of silver taels and tens of thousands of gold ingots were casually piled up, truly a treasure trove.
As the Director of the Inspector Bureau and the Demon Slayer Bureau, Chen Mu's annual salary, according to the Grand Proclamation's official system, was only a thousand silver taels. It would take him ten thousand years to earn the wealth of the Hao family through his salary alone.
"In fact, even several million silver taels are no small sum. If one is willing to pay the price, it's possible to forcefully accumulate enough to form an elite army of tens of thousands of Muscle Cultivators within a few years."
Chen Mu muttered to himself.
An elite army of tens of thousands of Muscle Cultivators might seem insignificant to Bone Forging practitioners or even Five Viscera Realm experts like Chen Mu, but this was based on the premise that the army lacked proper leadership.
Once led by a commander who truly understood 'Battle Formations', such an elite army would become a formidable force.
Battle Formations, in essence, were a type of Concept.
Concepts emphasized the importance of heaven, earth, and advantage, and naturally, there was also harmony among people.
When tens of thousands of elite soldiers gathered, their surging Qi and Blood merged into a single entity through the Battle Formation Concept, enabling them to conquer and subjugate wherever they went, unstoppable and even capable of hindering the flow of heavenly energy to a certain extent, posing a significant challenge to martial artists.
In simpler terms, it was a man-made creation of 'heaven, earth, and advantage'.
The Grand Proclamation Court once boasted the renowned Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise Four Armies, with Five Viscera Realm experts as captains, Six Viscera Realm experts as generals, and Bone Marrow Washing Realm experts as commanders. They had subdued countless sects that dared to defy the court.
However, those soldiers were a thing of the past.
The 'Protectorate Army' in Yu Prefecture, though numbering in the tens of thousands, was, at best, a mixed force of Copper Skin and Iron Muscle cultivators. While they could be considered elite within the small prefecture, they were insignificant on a state level and posed no threat to experts above the Five Viscera Realm.
If the Hao family dared to empty their coffers and train an elite army of tens of thousands, equipped with armor and led by a commander specializing in Battle Formations, they could indeed dominate Yu Prefecture, forcing others to avoid their might.
But the reality was that only those affiliated with the court, like Yan Jingqing, an official secretly serving the Seven Mysteries Sect, would have access to Battle Formation training. The Hao family had no such connections.
Furthermore, if the Hao family dared to make such a bold move, training tens of thousands of elites and crafting armor... they wouldn't even need to take action. The Seven Mysteries Sect would send an Overseer Elder to visit the Hao family for a 'heart-to-heart talk' that very night.
This was a dead end for the Hao family.
"The pinnacle of military might is the Grand Proclamation's Four Armies, and the pinnacle of individual power is the Blood Exchange at the end of the martial path. The Grand Proclamation's annals record instances of Blood Exchange Realm experts being besieged and killed by the Four Armies, but forbidden texts also speak of Blood Exchange experts piercing through Battle Formations and single-handedly sweeping away thousands of troops."
Chen Mu shook his head slightly as he reached this point in his thoughts.
While the veracity of these accounts was uncertain, it was known that the Grand Proclamation's founding emperor had conquered the world through his personal martial prowess. True invincibility in this world came from pushing one's individual strength to the extreme.
Even without the chaos of the current era, it's rare to find mighty armies like the Azure Dragon and White Tiger. Even in times of peace, he would still choose to pursue the path of ultimate martial prowess, as this is his forte, allowing him to showcase his unparalleled martial arts comprehension that surpasses all under heaven.
Changing directions, Chen Mu arrived at the eastern side of the stone house.
Here, a staircase leading underground was visible, with no attempts to conceal it.
After all, this was the most core secret location of the Hao family. If someone were to discover this place, it would mean the Hao family had already faced annihilation. Setting up hidden mechanisms and chambers would be pointless.
Chen Mu descended the staircase and soon reached the underground section of the stone house. There were fewer items here, only a few small wooden boxes.
Bang!
Chen Mu kicked one of the boxes open, revealing some minerals. Among them were two pieces emitting a silvery glow—the flowing silver ore he needed for his Flowing Silver Knife. Both pieces were larger than the ones he had used before.
Chen Mu shook his head slightly. Now that he already possessed a Flowing Silver treasure artifact, there was no point in acquiring more. He continued forward and kicked open several more wooden boxes. Soon, his gaze slightly focused on one of them.
This wooden box contained several pieces of ore, one of which had a white jade-like color, but its interior was woven with strands of golden silk, resembling a 'jade-wrapped-gold' design.
"Golden Threaded Jade Ore," Chen Mu muttered as he picked up the ore and weighed it in his hand, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Golden Threaded Jade Ore could only be found in the center of some large jade veins, and even then, the chances were extremely slim. This material was not suitable for forging weapons but was ideal for crafting soft armor.
Chen Mu had already seen the correct version in a book!
Ordinary soft armor made from mortal-grade materials had little effect on Chen Mu. However, a soft armor made from a treasure artifact was different. It could carry the Primordial Energy True Force, but such armor was far rarer and more precious than weapons. A single piece of Golden Threaded Jade Ore was not enough; it was just one of the main materials required.
Chen Mu contemplated for a moment.
Given his rapid progress in martial arts, he might not need this ore, but if he could refine a soft armor of treasure artifact grade in the future, it would be a valuable asset for Xu Hongyu or Chen Yue.
Chen Mu had carefully examined the soft armor Xu Hongyu wore under her clothes, and it was indeed of high quality, the best among mortal-grade items. However, it wasn't up to the standard of a treasure artifact and had limited effectiveness against the Primordial Energy True Force.
Chen Mu continued forward and reached the center of the underground chamber.
Here, a large piece of cold jade was placed, almost the same size as his Flame Jade Bed. It emanated a visible chill, indicating its superior quality, comparable to the Flame Jade Bed.
Despite its size, this cold jade was not considered a treasure. It was simply placed there, with three small wooden boxes stacked on top of it.
Chen Mu opened one of the boxes, and a strong herbal fragrance wafted out. Inside were some precious medicinal herbs, including a millennium-old He Shou Wu, a highly valuable tonic herb worth at least several hundred thousand taels.
The other medicinal herbs were also of exceptional quality, not lacking in value. Although they weren't of much use to Chen Mu at his current level, they could significantly enhance the qi and blood for those below the Bone Forging Realm.
"Finally, something decent," Chen Mu nodded slightly.
Even without the medicinal herbs, this large piece of high-quality cold jade was impressive. Carrying it back and crafting a Cold Jade Bed to complement his Flame Jade Bed would create an ideal 'Fire and Ice' environment for tempering the body. Xu Hongyu could give it a try.
After opening the two small boxes on either side, Chen Mu turned his attention to the central one. He opened it and a faint light gleamed in his eyes.
"So, this is that thing..."
Inside the small box was a single item—a thumb-sized pearl with a yellowish hue.
Although the Cold Jade Bed suppressed the leakage of energy, the rich 'Earthly Spirit Energy' it emitted was still discernible. This was one of the Heaven and Earth Spirit Treasures—the Earth Essence Pearl. According to the rules, it should have been handed over to the Seven Mysteries Sect, but the Hao family had somehow obtained and hidden it.
Chen Mu picked up the pearl with two fingers and examined it closely.
He had read many books about the Heaven and Earth Spirit Treasures and could identify it at a glance, knowing its uses.
Firstly, when placed on top of the head, it was suitable for comprehending the 'Earth Element Intention' among the Five Element Intentions. Secondly, it was beneficial for understanding the 'Kun Mountain' and 'Dui Lake' Intentions within the Heaven-Earth Intention, with a particular emphasis on Kun Mountain. Lastly, when crushed and consumed with auxiliary medicinal herbs, it could nourish the spleen, enhance the five organs' primordial energy, and expedite the tempering of the five organs, starting with the spleen.
"This is indeed a valuable item. Even the direct disciples of major sects would likely compete for it. It can aid in comprehending intentions and advancing the Organ Realms. No wonder the Hao family was reluctant to hand it over to the Seven Mysteries Sect and chose to hide it instead," Chen Mu shook his head.
The Hao family had been established in Yu Prefecture for over a hundred years, amassing not only a vast wealth of gold and silver but also various rare minerals. On top of that, they had secretly kept an Earth Essence Pearl, a greedy act that was truly despicable.
Chen Mu silently placed the yellowish pearl in his inner robe's pocket, keeping it close to his body. He used his Primordial Energy to cover it, suppressing the Earthly Spirit Energy and preventing it from leaking out.
He wasn't a greedy person.
When he eventually joined the Seven Mysteries Sect, this Earth Essence Pearl would likely still be his, but it would involve a lengthy process of passing it through the Demon Slayer Bureau and the Deputy Master Hall, adding unnecessary complications. To avoid such trouble, it was best to keep things simple.
(End of Chapter)
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